Motability Scheme lessons in Intake

Being collected in Intake

Most Motability pupils prefer to start from home. You get into the car where you are comfortable, whether that is a driveway on Huntingdon Road or the kerb outside a house near Sandringham Road, and nobody has to arrange a lift to meet us.

Other pick-ups that work well around the estate:

• Doncaster Royal Infirmary, if you want to fit a lesson around a clinic appointment. There are bus stops for the hospital on Armthorpe Road and on Thorne Road if someone drops you there.
• The shops on Sandringham Road, if you are already out running errands.
• School or college. Older pupils at Heatherwood School on Leger Way or at Outwood Academy Danum can be collected at the end of the day by arrangement with the family.
• A relative's house elsewhere in Doncaster on days when that is easier.

Tell us if you need more time getting in and out, or if a wheelchair or walking aid needs to travel in the boot.

Learning at 16 if you claim PIP

The normal starting age for driving a car is 17. The exception is anyone who receives the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component, or who has a claim for it in progress. They may begin lessons at 16.

The provisional licence application can go in on GOV.UK once you reach 15 years and 9 months. Some conditions must be reported to DVLA, and GOV.UK keeps an A to Z under health conditions and driving so you can check yours.

Funding through the Motability Foundation

Disabled learners on the Motability Scheme may qualify for help from the Motability Foundation, whose driving lessons grant pays for as many as 40 hours of tuition. To be considered you normally need a theory test pass already in hand, and you must be on a means-tested benefit as well as meeting further criteria the Foundation sets out.

Grant lessons are organised by the Foundation through its own arrangements, so speak to them before anything else. The number is 0800 500 3186, or read the details on the Foundation's driving lessons grant page. Anyone who does not qualify, or who would rather not wait, is welcome to book lessons with Alma privately.

Getting an adaptation assessment

If you have questions about hand controls or steering aids, or about whether a condition affects your driving, the charity Driving Mobility carries out car driving and adaptation assessments. Doncaster has one of its outreach centres, with appointments booked via the Leeds centre.

Bring any report from the assessment to your first lesson. It gives your instructor a clear starting point and saves time working out what suits you.

What lessons feel like in an automatic

Every Motability lesson is in an automatic car with dual controls. There is no clutch to manage and no gear lever to reach for, so your effort goes into steering and observation. Diana and Alecsandru are among the instructors who teach in automatics.

Intake is flat, which helps while you get used to the pedals. The first sessions usually stay on side roads near your home. After that come the buses on Shaftesbury Avenue and the longer stretch of Armthorpe Road, with the A18 saved for later.

There is more on the main Motability driving lessons page and on automatic driving lessons in Intake. If you live nearer Bawtry Road, see Motability driving lessons in Bessacarr, and the Intake lessons page has everything else.

Motability Scheme driving lessons in Intake: your questions

Can Alma give me lessons paid for by the Motability grant?

Grant-funded lessons are arranged by the Motability Foundation itself, so ring the Foundation first to see whether you qualify. Learners who are not eligible, or who would like to start straight away, can book with us privately in an automatic, dual controlled car collected from home in Intake.

Are your cars adapted?

Our cars are automatic with dual controls. Because needs vary so much, the best step is to describe yours on the phone so we can talk honestly about whether our cars will work for you. A Driving Mobility assessment can point to the right controls before you begin.

Could I start driving at 16 in Intake?

Yes, if you receive the enhanced rate of the PIP mobility component or have applied for it. You will still need a provisional licence before the first lesson. Once that arrives, we can collect you from home or from school.

Is the theory test still required?

It is. Every learner needs a theory pass before booking the practical test, and the Motability Foundation grant asks for one too. The test combines 50 multiple-choice questions with a hazard perception section. Our theory test guide has revision tips.